


Ruffled Feathers

by lilnaugrim



Series: Winged Thedas [3]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Cullen and Dorian Interupted, Cullen and Rengar Make Peace, Dorian is Taken, Inquisitor Still Jealous, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-12
Updated: 2016-05-12
Packaged: 2018-06-08 00:44:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6832012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilnaugrim/pseuds/lilnaugrim
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cullen is surprised when Dorian is back so soon after leaving Skyhold just a few hours ago. Rengar called off the trip out and Dorian doesn't complain, it means more time with Cullen! In tradition, Cullen and Dorian are interrupted for a call from the Inquisitor who is gathering the War Council to go over further plans. Cullen and Rengar nearly duke it out again but bigger issues are afoot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ruffled Feathers

                Cullen sat in his office humming to himself. It’d been five weeks since he had any Lyrium withdrawal symptoms and he had his personal mage masseuse to thank for that. Nightly massages from his boyfriend helped to reduce the urges and keep his body healthier. He smiled with the thought of Dorian and what they had gotten up to just last night, he bit his lip with the memories. He had five finger shaped bruises on his arm from where Dorian was holding on too tightly while they made intense love. Cullen had never been happier than when he was with Dorian.

                Cullen read through the reports and signed off on the ones that needed it and returned letters that needed returning. He hummed one of his favorite songs and tapped his quill along with it and then he found his foot tapping along as he did his work. A knock at his door and a scout entered with his permission to give him more reports. He accepted them, thanked the scout and went back to work.

  “Perhaps I should come back later, you look as if you’re enjoying yourself,” Dorian’s voice rang over from the door. Cullen smiled as he looked up to his boyfriend who was sauntering through the door.

  “Dorian! I thought you were going out with the Inquisitor? Has the party not yet left?” Cullen asked, getting up to greet him. It was only supposed to be a short trip, a couple days, but the pair had said their goodbyes in the early morning hours. Dorian walked right up to take the man in for a sealed kiss, moaning in approval when Cullen’s arms wrapped around him and held him tight. Cullen groaned when the mage pressed himself wholly against the Commander, pressing him against the desk. Lips continued to caress the others while tongues started to come into play. Cullen pulled away first, Dorian chasing the lips which always made Cullen smile. “Answer?” he pressed a finger to Dorian’s lips.

  “Clearly…if I am here amatus, then we have not left yet,” he answered sarcastically before he kissed the finger and then licked it.

  “Dorian…” Cullen whispered as the mage took the digit into his mouth to lick it and suck on it; simulating what he did to Cullen’s cock a few hours earlier. “Please…” he begged quietly.

  “Please, what? Do you want something?” Dorian asked him, releasing the finger but not before kissing it gently.

  “Wanted you to stop…” Cullen whispered, closing his eyes to relish his boyfriend.

  “Why? When we have more time to ourselves,” Dorian moved the hand away to move his head closer to Cullen’s; lips barely brushing. Cullen’s breath came short, his body excited by Dorian’s actions. “A couple hours before we leave…all the time to continue what we left off earlier…” Dorian whispered sensually, brushing lips over Cullen’s cheek, letting out a hot breath against it as he rubbed his hips against the Commander’s. Dorian laughed when Cullen grabbed him and jumped up to the roost with the help of his large wings. Dorian was quieted when Cullen kissed him again, sealing lips between the two as he backed the mage towards the nest as they started to release clothes.

  “Commander?” a voice sounded below.

  “Damn the Maker…” Cullen growled quietly while Dorian ticked at him for swearing. “What?!” Cullen growled down to the recruit. Dorian tried to suppress his giggle with the agitation from his lover.

  “Oh uh, the Inquisitor requested your presence at the war table,” the recruit said to them. Cullen sighed and clunked his head on Dorian’s open shoulder with defeat.

  “I just want to stay with you…” Cullen groaned, shaking his head as he kept his body close to Dorian’s.

  “Hurry back? I’ll wait here for you,” Dorian kissed him gently, Cullen raised his head to press into the kiss; needy. “No, no darling,” Dorian pulled from him as painful as it was. “You make me crazy sometimes amatus,” he smiled. Cullen grumbled and scowled down at the recruit. “Go on, the sooner you go, the sooner you come back,” he tried to push him away. Cullen sighed deeply but stole one last kiss before he let go.

  “I’ll be back soon as I can, don’t have too much fun without me,” he smirked.

  “Wouldn’t dream of it amatus,” Dorian reached for a peck to the cheek before letting go of his Commander. Cullen looked at him longingly but descended from his roost. Cullen grumbled more as he made his way to the war room where Leliana and Josephine were already present. Lord Rengar Trevelyan soon followed.

                It took well over an hour for them to figure out their next strategies and where to send troops, spies, and diplomats. Cullen was doing his best to be cooperative but he was losing patience by the time the hour was up. He started just suggesting Leliana’s spies take over most of the missions since the Inquisitor couldn’t seem to make up his mind about the troops.

  “Someone has ants in his breeches,” Leliana giggled to Josie, hiding a smile behind her hand.

  “I do _not_ have ants, in my breeches!” Cullen growled back but it didn’t help anything he realized. He folded his arms to grumbled and paced in a circle as the Inquisitor looked at the map. “Come on, you could stare at this for days! Don’t you have a mission to go on?” Cullen asked him finally.

  “Am I keeping you from…someone?” Rengar looked up at him through lashes, a subtle smirk on his lips.

  “No!” Cullen quickly snapped, “I just have a lot of work to do unlike others here who parade around, flapping their wings about until someone notices them,” he growled from across the table, planting his hands on the map before he curled them into fists.

  “I do _not_ flap my wings around and parade,” Rengar seethed back, snarling.

  “Boys, please! We need to stay focused here,” Josie interrupted the two of them. “If we can’t all get along then how will we ever defeat Corypheus?” she asked. Cullen stood up straight to fold his arms again and pace around.

  “I offered what I could; now if the Inquisitor would just make up his mind, we’d all be out of here sooner!” Cullen growled to them.

  “Now, now Commander, let’s be civil here, yes?” Rengar asked him from across the table; still leaning on it as he looked to them.

  “Civil?! You want to talk about civil?!” Cullen reared, Leliana jumped to the rescue to hold the Commander back before he flattened their leader.

  “Commander! Be still!” she hissed at him. “Inquisitor, he is correct, had you made a decision half an hour ago, we would all be back to our duties. If you could tarry no longer, it would be appreciated by all and likely would avoid unnecessary bloodshed,” she told the man politely.

  “Alright, alright, we’ll use the troops for the mission at the Caer Bronach Keep then,” the Inquisitor finally decided, placing the marker on the map.

  “Thank the Maker,” Cullen grumbled, letting go of his anger for the moment. “Are we done here then?” he asked. He was already leaving when the Inquisitor nodded. Leliana waited until Josie had left before speaking again.

  “You shouldn’t tease him so, he’s liable to break,” she offered her piece of advice.

  “He took Dorian from me, why shouldn’t I hate the man?” Rengar spat.

  “I thought you two had resolved the conflict weeks ago?” she asked.

  “He may think so but I do not let go that easily,” he shook his head. “Dorian and I really had something—or at least, I thought we did. He was a jackass, let’s not forget that, but all the same, I really felt something with him and then, he simply turns me away for, what, an old Chantry boy who doesn’t know the first thing about love?” he paced angrily as he spoke.

  “There may be more to their relationship than you can see. They both provide a service for each other as far as I can tell. I’ve never seen either of them so happy as they are when they are together. Please, I know it hurts—I’ve lost many in my own journey as well, but give them a chance Inquisitor?” she begged.

  “How can I let go? I loved the man!” Rengar turned to face her, sadness in his eyes. “I know he would never say that he loved me as well due to his past, but I could see it! Or so I thought!” he growled and shook his head.

  “Please, just give it time,” Leliana patted his shoulder and caressed it comfortingly. Rengar looked away from her but nodded. “And try not to torment Cullen so much? He didn’t know of your past with Dorian,” she patted it again before leaving him. The Inquisitor sighed and ruffled his wings before painfully stretching them out. He looked back at the shimmery black; his once beautiful wings were charred and damaged from a time he wished to forget; much like Dorian wished to forget his own past. When he had suffered through the agonizing stretch, he placed his wings back in their resting position, open against his side unlike the other humans and elves who could fold them up properly. He looked at them and longed to be normal again, shuttering at the memory that had rendered him like this. Eventually, he left the war room as well with one last look to the table where Cullen had stood across.

 

 

                Cullen growled as he walked back to his office, forgetting momentarily why he had even wanted to go back so badly. He looked up to the roost and lost his anger to replace it with a smile, oh yes, Dorian was waiting for him. Maker…was he still there? Would he have waited patiently for him for an hour? Not likely, he knew Dorian was never one to sit around idly whether he was pleasuring himself or not.

  “Dorian?” Cullen called up before he jumped up, flapping his wings once to easily lift himself up into the high roost. He half expected Dorian to be cuddled into his nest and sleeping. But he found no one in his nest and it made him feel sad. He was disappointed that Dorian didn’t want to wait for him but at the same time, he couldn’t blame him either with that long of a session. He sighed and went to leave but stopped when he saw something from the corner of his eye. He walked over to his nest where the pillows had clearly been laid in by someone, but that wasn’t what caught his attention. He picked up the long black primary feather of his lover, the gold tip was indicative only to Dorian. He hummed and thought about his lover preening himself, Dorian did it so often and so it didn’t surprise him that a feather had come loose. He smiled as he lifted the feather to his lips to kiss it gently and then run the edge of his lips; caressing himself. He loved the feeling of Dorian’s feathers against him or around him. He figured the mage would return later if he wanted anything. Cullen descended with the feather to continue working on his papers for the day.

                It was some time later, perhaps two hours or more? Cullen couldn’t tell if he was actually honest, he had been too busy with the reports and talking with the recruits about battle stances and techniques of holding each type of sword. Cullen was at his desk, toying with Dorian’s feather when the Inquisitor knocked and entered with permission.

  “Oh…Inquisitor,” Cullen stood to greet him. He noted the slightly panicked look on the man’s face. “Is there…something wrong?” he asked.

  “Is Dorian here with you?” he asked him.

  “No, why? I haven’t seen him since before the meeting,” Cullen looked down at the feather, suddenly growing worried about the mage. It wasn’t like him to just hide away unless he was hurt or hurting.

  “That’s one of his, isn’t it?” the Inquisitor asked, pointing to the feather.

  “Yes, I found it up in the roost but…I mean, you know how often he preens himself—I thought maybe it just came loose?” he asked before he ascended to his roost again to check around, maybe his missed something. The Inquisitor followed him up the ladder; refusing to fly up. Cullen noted the behavior but said nothing of it as he looked around. The only thing Cullen had noted was the slightly slept in pillows, one pillow had fallen out of the nest so he’d picked it back up to replace it. It wasn’t like Dorian to carelessly drop a pillow from the nest since he was so fond of Cullen’s nest building skills. Rengar joined in to look around. “What do you…suppose happened?” he asked. “Perhaps he’s just out for a flight?”

  “No,” Rengar shook his head, “Leliana personally saw Dorian come here and then her scouts informed her that he never left when in inquired about it. I had gone to his nook to see if he was ready to leave or not but he wasn’t there when I arrived,” he explained. Cullen went about searching his roost to find any sort of clue as to what may have happened. “I went to Leliana, hoping that she had seen him. When I saw you at your desk, I knew he wasn’t here,” Rengar followed him around, searching as well.

  “You don’t suppose that…” Cullen looked around, still holding the primary feather in his hands. He looked at the stem where normally if a feather came loose, it would be clean. This feather that he held had some blood in the stem which meant it had been pulled or ripped out of the wing instead. Cullen’s heart beat quickly at the thought; he knew that many of the Templar’s around here despised Dorian for being a mage and a Tevinter. “…don’t suppose that he was taken?” he looked to Rengar.

  “I pray to the Maker that he wasn’t,” the man sighed, “how it may have happened under our noses though?” he grumbled. Both men stopped when something caught their eyes, a small feather drifting from the hole in Cullen’s roof. “Maker…” Rengar breathed out as they both went over to inspect it. Cullen caught the feather and brought it down to look at it, black with gold tips. The two men looked to each other in horror.

  “That’s…that…” Rengar had the same hard time comprehending what was going on. “Was he really taken? Right from under us?” he asked the Commander, nerves shaking in his voice that Cullen had never heard before.

  “There seems to be no struggle,” Cullen looked around, other than the knocked pillow, it seemed that Dorian’s supposed captors had snuck up to him. “I see no signs of his magic either. I would have felt it otherwise—you know, being ex-Templar and all. I can still feel magic and Dorian’s magic feels…it’s different than most, maybe because he’s from Tevinter? I don’t actually know,” he shook his head. “We need to find him though,” he sounded his resolve before he jumped up to fly out. He looked down to see that the Inquisitor hadn’t quite followed him; he dropped through the hole again to tilt his head with the question. “Aren’t you coming?”

  “I’ll go search by foot, it’s really my best method honestly,” Rengar tried to brush him off, already leaving for the ladder.

  “If I didn’t know any better, I would say there is something wrong with your wings…” Cullen folded his arms.

  “These beautiful things? Don’t be silly,” he laughed before he slid down the ladder and left. Cullen was starting to get the picture but he didn’t want to jump to conclusions just yet, there was a mage to be found first!

                Cullen searched high and low through the Keep, his worry spreading faster and harder when he couldn’t find any traces of Dorian’s magic or the mage himself. He started Chantry prayers in his head, praying that Dorian was safe and sound and just holed up somewhere reading a novel and sipping—okay probably more like downing, a good bottle of wine. Cullen was near the dungeons and searching around there when he caught a whiff of something; it was akin to a strong bottle of Elfroot. He looked to his left to see a small corridor he hadn’t explored just yet. A broken bottle lay at the base of a heavy door, the source of the smell. His heart dropped when he heard laughing from inside, he could sense Dorian but not his magic. With a rush of adrenaline, Cullen crashed through the door with a howling growl. What he found made him want to vomit.

  “Knight-Commander!” one of the recruit Templar’s yelled out in surprise. There were three other men with him; all Templars. Dorian was sprawled out on the table; naked and unconscious. One of the men was on top of him and inside of him, fucking into him like an animal. Cullen wasn’t entirely sure what happened next.

                An agonized yell was heard before the door slammed shut and everyone but Dorian sprang into action. The Templar’s scrambled, wings flashing and tearing at each other. Cullen drew his sword and slashed at everything he could in his blind rage. Screams and shrieks fill the room until they turned on him. Cullen yelled in rage when he beheaded one of the Templars, one of the others grabbed his wings in the moment of distraction. Everything began to turn and twist itself on him; another grabbed the other wing and tore out the feathers which had Cullen screaming in anger and pain. He kicked and lashed out; accidentally tearing out more of his feathers as he fought his captors. The one who first grabbed the wing successfully grabbed the bone and broke it over his knee. Cullen screamed, he was sure it echoed through the castle.

                Cullen ignored the pain, he had to keep fighting; it was what he had been trained to do. He whipped around, pulling the man towards him, he punched him in the face and slashed at the arm; slicing off a sliver. This was why he kept his blade sharp and clean, one never knew when they would face their own death.

  “Commander!” a voice interrupted them, the door shattered into pieces as the Inquisitor entered the game. Just as he raised his staff and brought it down, electrical currents ran through all three of the Templars, the dead Templar was on the ground and oozing blood everywhere. “No!” Rengar shouted, hand reaching for Cullen in the exact moment one of the Templar’s had deflected the magic, grabbed Cullen’s sword and drove it through the Commander’s gut. A single, strong, and blindingly bright lightning bolt struck the rogue Templar and killed him on the spot. Cullen turned to look at Rengar as he rushed forward to Cullen.

  “I—I…” Cullen did his best to speak. Rengar quieted him, pressing fingers to scarred lips as the Commander’s face was taken over in pain. The Inquisitor caught him as he started to fall, easing the soldier gently to his knees.

  “Please, don’t speak, save yourself,” he commanded him as the rest of the search party came down to find the commotion. Leliana went quickly to work, she had her scouts pick up the four Templars and remove them from the room. Varric and Cassandra rushed through to find their comrades. “Someone cover Dorian please, not everyone needs to see him naked you know!” Rengar commanded them; Varric took on the duties, finding a rogue sheet to cover his indecencies with. “Come on; get Cullen up to the infirmary! Now! I will not lose either of them!” he said, Cassandra and Iron Bull came to pick him up gingerly; sword still within him but the Commander had passed out in pain. Rengar rushed over to Dorian next to make sure he was alright.

  “He’s still alive Inquisitor,” Varric assured him, patting the man’s arm affectionately. “What the hell happened here anyway?” he asked, looking around.

  “I can only assume that the Templar’s had a distain for Dorian, either because he is a powerful mage or because he’s a Vint. Either way, Cullen and I went searching after confirming he’d been taken. How they hid from us so long, I haven’t a clue,” Rengar ghosted fingers over Dorian to check for injuries. “He looks…mostly clean, some bruises here and likely a concussion,” he murmured before he went around to feel about the wings to make sure they were okay other than the obvious feathers that had been torn out and strewn everywhere.

  “Looks like they used some sort of potion to cloak themselves,” Varric pointed to the empty jars. “You should ask Sera about this, she’s good with that stuff you know.” Rengar nodded to him, the wings on Dorian weren’t broken but they were bleeding from the forceful feather pulls. “Makes me sick…” Varric grumbled as he looked to Dorian and then around. “Come on, let’s move him out of here,” Varric offered his help to Rengar who seemed to be in slight shock still about this entire mess. The man nodded to the dwarf, he folded in the wings gently to Dorian’s side. The two carried him up and out of the dungeon area and to the infirmary where Cullen was already being tended to and healed.

                It was a couple hours later; Rengar was sitting in the infirmary between the two wounded men. Cullen was mostly healed; the broken bones had been set and primarily healed up, though it would take a couple more potions before they were totally solid again. The sword wound was closed but would likely give him pain for the next weeks come up as well. Rengar sat with them, foot tapping fervently as he waited for one or both of them to wake up. He was anxious and still feeling like he could vomit at any point. It was clear that Dorian had been taken and abused, raped by the Templars—all four of them. Dorian had been unconscious for all of it but he would likely feel the filth once he was awake again.

  “You should get some rest,” Mother Giselle came over to him; he was leaning with his elbows on his knees as he looked at the men.

  “What would you have me do?” he asked her, looking up. “I cannot sleep, knowing what these two have gone through. I cannot eat, my stomach won’t allow it. I cannot think of anything else but them, one man I respected highly and the other I loved,” he shook his head, wiping away rogue tears that had presented themselves.

  “You know as well as I that the Maker and Andraste will watch over them. I can have you alerted the moment they wake,” she offered.

  “No, I want to stay, please,” Rengar looked back to the men. “I owe it to them at least,” he said. She nodded and left him to be on his own. Rengar waited until the Infirmary was empty of others at the moment before he started his quiet chant. He was able to get two verses in before Cullen started to stir and Rengar quickly gave all attention to the man.

  “Healer, Commander Cullen is waking again, seems to be in pain,” Rengar motioned her over. She quickly came over with the potions and the new bandage that he would likely need. Rengar stood up to allow the healer the room to do her work. He knew very well that the healer would get angry if he touched either of them with his own magic to try to heal them. There was no doubt that he could help but he’d rather stay on the good sides of the healers. Cullen stirred more and woke in pain, huffing and breathing quickly.

  “Hush Commander,” she told him, pressing her hand to his head to spread the healing spell through him. The Commander became quiet again but remained awake this time, he was blinking in the dim light and barely moving. “Come, to your side so I can change your bandage,” she urged him to follow the order. Cullen groaned quietly with the pressure on his side but did as she asked; turning just slight so that he was totally on his side this time, he was facing towards Dorian at his right, the wound on his left. The healer cut the old bandage off and removed it gently. Rengar looked at it; still bleeding and bruised terribly but better than it had been in the last hours. Cullen caught a glimpse of the man and tried to smile through the pain. Soon, the healer left them both again after he downed the elfroot potion and grimaced at the taste.

  “Hello Commander,” Rengar sat at the side of his nest now, smiling down at the man. “How are you feeling?”

  “Less painful,” Cullen nodded in the pillows, huffing with the exertion. “Is Dorian alright?”

  “Yes, yes, he’s doing very well and healing quick. He should be on his feet by tonight, albeit slightly sore,” Rengar looked to the mage with a fond smile.

  “Good,” Cullen tried to smile but frowned instead with the soreness coursing through his body.

  “Save your strength Commander, you still have a long way to heal. A broken arm, both wings…a sword wound…you’ve got your work cut out for you friend,” Rengar shook his head.

  “My…arm? How…did?” Cullen looked down.

  “I don’t actually know, I came in too late,” Rengar shook his head. Cullen seemed to feel defeated, the look translated well to the Inquisitor. Rengar pitied the man quietly, he wanted to help but he couldn’t help to hate him a little still. He did respect him, for all that he’d done for the Inquisition and for Rengar himself, he still hated the man for stealing Dorian. Cullen spoke up again quietly and Rengar turned his attention to him.

  “All the same…,” Cullen smiled gently, able to move his muscles with a little more motor control, “thanks for saving my ass…and Dorian’s.”

  “Inquisitor to the rescue…again,” Rengar chuckled and patted Cullen’s thigh gently.

  “How are you?” Cullen asked him, slightly more conscious now and in less pain it seemed. “I mean…through all this, all these decisions you have to make, the weight on your shoulders and… _Maker_ ,” Cullen breathed out in a sorrowed sigh. “I took the one thing that probably made you happy…I’m so sorry,” he genuinely looked sad, Rengar appreciated how hard it must have been for him to say that.

  “As I’ve been told; you didn’t know. I can’t blame Dorian for running to you after all. We’re different people and I…I’m just not meant for any type of relationship and maybe it’s for the best. Maker only knows what trouble I’ll be getting myself into—best to just have my very good friends and leave it at that,” Rengar shook his head, sighing lightly when he looked to Dorian who was still asleep.

  “Everyone deserves to love,” Cullen shook his head, “but you’ve evaded my question, how are you?” he asked again which made Rengar smile.

  “You always do look after your own, don’t you Commander?” he asked. Cullen snuck another smile in. Rengar waited for him to answer him but when Cullen didn’t say anything, he smiled again and nodded. “I’ll live Commander, it’s what I’m best at you know,” he shrugged. “I…I’m—I’m doing alright,” Rengar nodded and looked to the floor as he continued to speak. “I wish he would have told me sooner but…I am happy for you two. You need him more than I and I know he needed you too. It was lovely, the month that we had,” he looked to Dorian with the fond smile. “but, we could have never amounted to anything more than hushed whispers in the night,” he shook his head and turned back to Cullen.

  “I am sorry still. I appreciate that you didn’t have me drawn and quartered.”

  “And lose my finest Commander? Not likely!” Rengar laughed heartily.

  “You mean, Cassandra isn’t your finest Commander?” Cullen chuckled but it turned into a cough with a twinge of pain.

  “She is the finest Seeker I could ask for, but you’ve always been there for me Cullen and I appreciate that fact. I am sorry that I lashed out to you and Dorian and made a mess of everything…” he sighed again, “Maker….had I just let everything go, Dorian wouldn’t have been in this mess, you would have been there to protect him…” Rengar mourned.

  “Rengar, you and I both know that those Templars were looking for any opportunity to take Dorian. Had it not been today, then it would have been tomorrow, I cannot protect him all the time,” he admitted.

  “I know, I know,” Rengar nodded, “it’s just my guilt wallowing inside of me.”

  “I’m sorry as well though, for being quite the prick the last few weeks,” Cullen tried to shake his head, it didn’t really convey though. “I didn’t mean to act so childish but…you know that I am a possessive man—stubborn really,” he smiled.

  “How about we agree that we weren’t our best these past few weeks and move on from here, yeah?” Rengar offered him with made Cullen grin wider.

  “Yeah, I think I can do that,” he agreed.

  “Great, I’m sure Dorian will approve,” Rengar said as he looked back to the Vint, sighing lightly. Cullen was doing the same; looking to Dorian. It was a couple more moments until Cullen spoke again.

  “May I…ask a personal question?” he asked. Rengar looked back to him.

  “You want to know about my wings, yes?” he asked.

  “How did you know?” Cullen asked, he looked slightly alarmed; clearly the question had been asked one too many times by the look on Rengar’s face.

  “Many wonder but never ask, I can feel the question on their tongues but it never comes loose. It’s alright you know,” he shrugged. “Many think that I flaunt them…I…parade around,” he looked to Cullen who had accused him of the very act only a couple of hours ago himself. Cullen looked at him apologetically. “It’s okay, I’d rather them think that I’m just parading around then to have everyone know that the Inquisitor…can barely fly anymore,” he looked away. “I can fly—rest assured, but it’s a painful task,” he nodded.

  “Oh!” Cullen exclaimed, “is that why you always dismiss my air tactics and why you fly so slowly?” he asked. Rengar chuckled but looked away, a small smile stayed.

  “Yes…I’m sorry I didn’t let you in on it sooner but yes…I just, I didn’t want everyone to know,” he said.

  “Who else knows—if that’s not too bold?” he asked.

  “Well…Dorian of course, Cassandra and Leliana, and the healer. I come here frequently for my check ups and to numb the pain.”

  “Is it constant?”

  “Mostly, it’s why I can’t fold them properly and so…I just leave them out like this,” he explained. “They were broken in several places and burned in a fiery apostate attack…they were once white as snow you know…” he went on. “I honestly don’t remember much from the battle; I was much younger, early twenties and had just finished my Harrowing….I was…I was still so new at this whole magic thing,” he shook his head sorrowfully. “They killed my best friend as well that day…” he looked to Cullen.

  “I’m sorry to hear that…I…I know how that feels,” Cullen nodded just as solemnly, both remembering past events that haunted them.

  “Yes, well, I think it’s time you get some more rest then, you’ll need your strength for when Dorian wakes,” Rengar stood up with a smile at his friend.

  “Thank you,” Cullen smiled before he yawned, “I appreciate you watching over us.”

  “You two deserve the finest care and I’ll see to it that you get it,” Rengar nodded and smiled before he finally left the two of them; confident that the healer would alert him to any condition changes now. Cullen was the worst of the two and knowing that he was in better spirits made Rengar feel better about himself, he left to the Tavern to find some company; perhaps Iron Bull would give him the company that he longed for.

               

 

                A couple days later, both Dorian and Cullen were out and about once again. Cullen was still in a sling and his wings were bound for another couple days so they could fully heal. The two were playing chess to take their mind off everything, though, it wasn’t working so well for Cullen and Dorian could sense it.

  “Maker! I hate being grounded!” Cullen grumbled as he made his move, Dorian’s knight easily overtaking his queen with the foolish move.

  “Perhaps we should retire to your roost? I think we’ve both had enough of this game,” Dorian suggested, he’d won two games in a row without cheating; he knew it was time to give up. Cullen wasn’t thinking about anything else at the moment and so perhaps, he could distract him in other methods. “Come amatus, let us go,” Dorian stood up first. His wings were healing quick but it would still take another three weeks until the feathers grew back completely; for now, he was grounded just like the Commander was. It irked him just as much but he tried not to let the Commander see his anguish, instead he tried to distract the both of them the best he could. Rengar had promised not to take Dorian out on a mission for the next month unless absolutely necessary so the two of them could heal. Rengar knew how important it would be to distract the Commander; he tended to be a little reckless when he was injured like this.

  “Very well…I suppose you do know best,” Cullen stood up, grumbling at his wings and shaking his tail feathers loose from where they had kinked in sitting. Dorian took his right arm and led him on, talking as much as he could about random things, Cullen would nod along and agree but in reality, he wasn’t listening. Dorian kept talking though, he knew it helped. Once they were up to Cullen’s roost, Dorian lit the fire to make it more comfortable.

  “You know the best thing about being grounded?” Dorian asked him, invading Cullen’s space to grab his attention. It almost worked but Cullen was too put off by the fire.

  “It was perfectly comfortable in here, there’s no need too—“ he was cut off by a kiss from Dorian. Cullen was too insistent about the fire and so he broke away to continue talking. “You didn’t need to start the fire! It’s practically summer in here!” he complained. Dorian groaned and shook his head at the Commander.

  “You really are a handful when you’re injured!” Dorian asked at him, still had his hands around the Commander. “Amatus, look at me,” he tried to draw his attention again but Cullen was stubborn, he wanted to go over and put the fire out even though he knew that it was magical fire and couldn’t be doused with simple water. “Oh for Andraste’s sake, Cullen!” Dorian growled at him and snapped his fingers to douse the fire. Cullen seemed more at ease now and slumped his posture to show it. “Are you done being childish now?” he asked, it was cute at first but he wasn’t sure how he could handle an entire week of Cullen being like this until his wings would be healed. “I understand that you’re frustrated about not being able to fly, trust me amatus, I am too,” he started to talk to Cullen in hopes he could get through to him. Cullen glanced to him coy-like and sighed. Dorian observed him a little more, Cullen seemed to want something but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. It wasn’t the usual sexy stare that he donned when he wanted sex and it wasn’t a Lyrium headache either, it was something else.

  “You’re looking at me strange, why?” Cullen asked him.

  “Because you want something but I can’t figure out what it is…” Dorian twirled his mustache as he squinted his eyes to figure him out.

  “What makes you think I want something?” Cullen asked with a raise of his eyebrow.

  “You’ve got a look about you. I can tell when you’re hungry or when you need the latrine or there’s a headache coming on or if you want sex but this one…this look is different but it’s still saying that you want something,” Dorian happily explained to him as he folded his arms to look at the Commander.

  “Honestly?” Cullen started, “I really just want a bottle of good wine…the whole bottle preferably,” he confessed.

  “Is that all?” Dorian asked, a sly grin spreading across his face. He could see the want now, the desire to indulge so much that he became drunk. “Shall I run down to my stash to offer you my wares? I certainly wouldn’t mind a night of drinking myself!” he smiled to Cullen who definitely wore a more relieved look now as Dorian continued to speak. “I’ll give you the finest wine I’ve got, straight from Tevinter and guaranteed to knock your tail feathers off!” he was already starting to leave.

  “My tail feathers?!” Cullen looked alarmed and peered down at his own.

  “It’s an expression darling, I’ll be right back! Don’t you move!” Dorian told him, a grin still playing on his lips. Cullen nodded before he leaned against his desk which was report-free now due to his morning diligence. He smiled to himself, he was having fun playing with Dorian and throwing him off course. He did absolutely want to drink himself away and he was annoyed with his wings but he knew it’d pass. But what better way to pass the days than the mess with his boyfriend? Cullen chuckled to himself and went to light the fire just to mess with Dorian further, the mage would be so mad at him! He giggled like a little girl and prepared himself for the onslaught that was to come when Dorian returned to him!


End file.
